Editing Lewiston, Maine (section)

===Somali and Bantu migration===
[[File:Hospital Square, Lewiston, ME.jpg|thumb|right|Hospital Square in {{circa|1910}}]]{{Main|History of the Somalis in Maine}}
In 1999, the United States government began preparations to resettle an estimated 12,000 refugees from [[Somalia]] to select cities throughout the United States. Most of the early arrivals in the United States settled in [[Clarkston, Georgia|Clarkston]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], a city adjacent to [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]]. However, they were mostly assigned to low-rent, poverty-stricken inner-city areas, so many began to look to resettle elsewhere in the U.S.<ref name="Bates">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bates.edu/pix/PerceivedBarriers09Jan20.pdf|title=Perceived Barriers to Somali Immigrant Employment in Lewiston - A Supplement to Maine's Department of Labor Report|access-date=April 15, 2021|archive-date=October 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026180004/http://abacus.bates.edu/pix/PerceivedBarriers09Jan20.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Empire Theatre, Lewiston, ME.jpg|thumb|right|Empire Theatre in 1907]]Word soon spread that Lewiston had free housing.<ref name="Jones">[https://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2004/03/02_401.html "The New Yankees"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706140332/http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2004/03/02_401.html |date=July 6, 2008 }}, ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'', March/April 2004</ref> In 1999, ethnic [[Somalis]] subsequently began a secondary migration from other states to the former mill town, and after 2005, many [[Somali Bantus]], a separate ethnicity, followed suit.<ref name="Bates" />

In October 2002, then-[[Mayor]] Laurier T. Raymond wrote an [[open letter]] addressed to leaders of the Somali community, predicting a negative impact on the city's social services and requesting that they discourage further relocation to Lewiston.<ref name="Jones" /> The letter angered many and prompted some community leaders and residents to speak out against the mayor, drawing national attention. Demonstrations were held in Lewiston, both by those who supported the immigrants' presence and those who opposed it.<ref name="Great">{{Cite web |url=http://www.amconmag.com/2002/2002_11_18/cover4.html |title=The Great Somali Welfare Hunt |access-date=June 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821172040/http://www.amconmag.com/2002/2002_11_18/cover4.html |archive-date=August 21, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In January 2003, about 32 members of a [[white nationalist]] group from Illinois demonstrated in Lewiston to denounce Somali immigrants.<ref name="AP2003">{{cite news|title=Maine Somalis Generate Dueling Protests Small white nationalist group is outnumbered by 4,000 who show up to rally against racism.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-12-na-somalis12-story.html|access-date=2 November 2016|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=12 January 2003|archive-date=November 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104022714/http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jan/12/nation/na-somalis12|url-status=live}}</ref> This prompted a simultaneous counter-demonstration on the campus of [[Bates College]] to demonstrate support of the Somali community.<ref name="AP2003" /> The rally repudiating the white nationalists attracted 4,000 attendees, including governor [[John Baldacci]], Senators [[Olympia Snowe]] and [[Susan Collins]] and other officials.<ref name="AP2003" /> Mayor Raymond was reportedly out of town on vacation on the day of the protests.<ref name="AP2003" />

In August 2010, the ''[[Lewiston Sun Journal]]'' reported that Somali entrepreneurs had helped reinvigorate downtown Lewiston by opening shops in previously closed storefronts. Amicable relations were also reported by the local [[Franco-Americans|Franco-American]] merchants and the Somali storekeepers.<ref>[http://www.sunjournal.com/city/story/897656 Somali stores bring people back to Lisbon Street] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831172051/http://www.sunjournal.com/city/story/897656 |date=August 31, 2010 }} Lewiston Sun-Journal, August 30, 2010</ref>

Somali farmers have had a positive impact on Lewiston agriculture life. Farming was known to be "low caste"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-12-01/somali-refugees-build-future-farmers-maine|title=Somali refugees build a future as farmers — in Maine|website=The World from PRX|access-date=December 8, 2019|archive-date=December 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209001409/https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-12-01/somali-refugees-build-future-farmers-maine|url-status=live}}</ref> to Somalis, before they were forced to labor during slavery. Since migrating to Maine farming has become a part of life to some Somalis.

Somali-American players contributed to the [[Lewiston High School (Maine)|Lewiston High School]] boys soccer team's state championship wins in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2023<ref>{{cite web|title=Annual Champions and Runners-up in Soccer|url=https://www.mpa.cc/index.php/interscholastic-activities-and-committees/soccer/past-champions|website=Maine Principals Association|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-date=April 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413124713/https://www.mpa.cc/index.php/interscholastic-activities-and-committees/soccer/past-champions|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PPH2017">{{cite news|last1=Vortherms|first1=Taylor|title=Boys' soccer: Lewiston earns Class A title with OT win over Portland|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2017/11/04/boys-soccer-lewiston-earns-class-a-title-with-ot-win-over-portland/|access-date=12 April 2018|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|date=4 November 2017|archive-date=April 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413043443/https://www.pressherald.com/2017/11/04/boys-soccer-lewiston-earns-class-a-title-with-ot-win-over-portland/|url-status=live}}</ref> under coach Mike McGraw.